Betta Moved Into New Tank- Seems Lazy

[AceyLeigh]

Hi again So, Wishy is doing much better- back to his normal, sociable self BUT now I'm noticing that his coloring is a tiny bit dull, and his fins are a bit clamped......I don't have a regular filter yet- Haven't been able to get it right away- but I've been doing small water changes as best as I can until I can get the filter this coming week- and every time I change some water- he becomes more energized, etc- and he's fine. What can I do to get his color back to normal?

In this picture- he looks bluer than he really is- his body is more of a gold/tan color, not blue like the camera shows...and his fins are more purple, but duller than the camera shows...Odd. And his fins are somewhat clamped.....Us there anything I can buy food wise that might help? or medicine? His behavior is totally normal- which is why I'm confused. would getting him a new kind of food help? I know flakes aren't preferred by bettas- But he seems to like them...But perhaps a change would help him? Any suggestions? I'm doing the best I can for now.... Thanks

PS- his water isn't cloudy at all, The pic is showing the outside of the tank...My toddler is very messy- sorry about that lol

 

[marieukxx]

You really need a test kit that way you can know what water changes you need to do. You said you're doing small changes at the moment, if there is amonia or nitrite present you'll need to do bigger changes depending on how much is there. 75% at least

 

[loraxchick]

To help with some questions...
the MOST imporatant things the betta needs are a heater (yes walmart sells 25 watt heaters. they cost around $9-at least around me..they are small and work great-i use them in all my betta tanks and would be fine in your tank), and also clean water with no ammonia or nitrite as mentioned. Filters (and im sure someone will have some comment about this) are not ABSOLUTELY necessary so long as you are changing the water appropriately to keep the ammonia and nitrite levels down (although becomes more of a chore as time goes by, which can get frustrating, and less time enjoying the fish). in a tank that size with one betta, so long as he is not being overfed, change 50% of the water every day/every other day. Also, feed the fish every other day (less food in=less waste out). he will be fine with every other day feeding. Filters just make our lives easier, as you only need to do partial water changes every week, not every day/other day. Undergravel filters are fine, but they may get mucked up (as allllll filters do eventually) and are more difficult to maintain. An idea of sorts would be to shove some floss or filter sponge into that middle cylindrical part (where the bubbles are comming out of)...would act sort of like a sponge filter, and save you some space in the tank. Just make sure it isnt restricting the bubble flow (ie the bubbles still make it out of the tube).
as for food, all my bettas are fed flakes. It comes down to the fish. some people think they are garbage food, when in reality they are not. They actually in the long run are better for the fish as pellets swell up fairly large when they get saturated and people tend to overfeed the fish with them (they only need 2-3 a day if not every other day). This often leads to constipation or swimbladder issues (at least in my experience). So really its up to you. If hes eating them, why not stick with the flakes?
as for the clamping that makes me think that the water qulity isnt up to par. Also explaines why he perks up after a change. Just keep on top of waterchanges. do a very large on 75% today, and for the next week 50% every day. see if that helps his sticky fins. If so just gotta do more water changes to keep him healthy.

just some answers to some questions.
cheers